What It Takes
by Rabid Marauder
Summary: Everyone knows about the marauders, but who were they really? 'What It Takes' is a collection of short stories taken from the boys' school years.
1. Prank One

**A/N:** This is my second time uploading this chapter, and I apologize for having to do so, I happened to forget a disclaimer of any sort the first time, which was absolutely bright, wouldn't you say? Also, please note that this is unbeta'ed until I see a need for one, so please let me know if you happen to find any spelling or grammatical errors that aren't supposed to be there. Thanks.

About the story: Uhm, the basic premise of it is like I said, a collection of short stories from the Marauders while they were at Hogwarts. it's set up as individual chapters, one or two per year, and I doubt they necessarily have anything to do with each other, for the most part. They are going to build on the things that happen, as in, they don't start out having the Invisibility Cloak, James gets that as the years go by, and after that, they just have it.

Disclaimer: I own a spoon. I also own a half a roll of duct tape. Imagine the possibilities.

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_**What It Takes**_

_A collection of short stories from the Marauders at school_

**I solemnly swear I am up to no good.**

**Prank 1.**

**Arrival, Encounters.**

Remus Lupin was a quiet boy who liked to read. That was the first thing Sirius learned about him. He was reading when they met him for the first time, Sirius and his best mate, James Potter. It was on the train, and the two had been looking for a compartment to sit in, since they'd missed the opportunity to stake out their own because James's mother had given them such a long, tearful good-bye.

That good-bye had made Sirius feel awkward; _his_ mother would never cry like that, she thought crying was for babies, and if she ever caught Sirius or Regulus, his younger brother, crying, she'd make sure they knew not to ever again. It wasn't that he disliked Mrs. Potter, because he thought she was quite the nice contrast to his own mother, and she was nice enough in her own way. He had just never had anyone cry over him like that before and found it shocking and strange. At least James had seemed a bit weird about it too.

James always seemed to know how Sirius felt, when no one else did. They might as well be brothers, and Sirius liked him a lot better than he liked little Regulus anyway. Regulus was too snotty, always sucking up to their mother. But not James. James always had time for Sirius, even for the stupidest things.

And then they met Remus. Remus was a grand contrast to James. Remus was generally calm and even-tempered, and you could always follow his line of thought if you cared to, because he thought in a straight line, if you will. Not like James. James was something of a creative genius, and while predictable in his own way, he'd always had something of a temper if you upset him, which was not too terribly hard. James thought in circles and loop-the-loops, and sometimes it was just easier to wait for him to tell you his idea when he'd got it fully formed, instead of trying to follow his thought process.

They were a good contrast in other ways, too. Where Remus was all soft brown hair and amber eyes, skinny and a bit on the short side, and overall a bit wimpy looking, James had messy black hair that always stuck up in the back and bright hazel eyes behind his glasses. And while he was almost as skinny as Remus was, James had more muscle and was a bit taller, so his build was much more solid.

When Sirius and James stepped into Remus's compartment, they were met by the shy gaze of the amber eyed boy who was mostly hidden by the big book he was reading. Something about him had instantly struck Sirius, and so he'd grinned brilliantly and given a small wave, taking a seat across from the small boy. He seemed reluctant to talk at first, but Sirius and James had gotten him to open up a bit by offering him some of the chocolate James's mother had given them. Remus admitted to having something of a chocolate obsession, and looked very relieved when neither of the other two boys were inclined to tease him about it, though Sirius did take the opportunity to stick a glob of chocolate on James's nose when his friend wasn't paying attention. It had led to a slight chocolate-smearing war, but James had cleaned it up with a quick spell before they left the train.

They were all sorted into Gryffindor, along with another small boy, Peter Pettigrew, and Sirius was the most surprised by this. His entire family was generally considered to be Slytherins, and he wasn't quite sure that his mother would accept his placement. She might even come up to the school and demand he be resorted. _That_ would be embarrassing, but he wouldn't put it past his mother. She could be very insisted upon silly little things like that. Sirius was just glad that he was with his friends and not that Snape kid. Severus, he thought his name was. The boy had always been a bit too greasy and superior for the Black heir. Thankfully, he was in Slytherin.

Peter Pettigrew, on the other hand, was smaller even then Remus, though he was slightly chubby, with short blond hair and watery blue eyes. He gave off the type of feeling that tells you he'd be very easy to bully around without any argument, and James seemed immediately inclined to protect him. Sirius didn't particularly like Peter, but he was James's friend, and if James was going to be friends with Peter, then Sirius would be nice to him, too. It wasn't that he always did what James did, or anything like that, just that James was his _best mate_, and it was nice when they did everything together, so James wouldn't have to feel guilty about hanging out with Peter, and Sirius wouldn't feel guilty for making James feel guilty. Besides, this way if there really was something off with Peter, then Sirius would be there to help James out.

But Peter never did seem to do anything strange, other than following James and, by virtue of his being there, Sirius around. And Remus, because Remus was their friend too, even if he did like to follow the rules a lot more closely than James or Sirius ever had. He was still a good friend, and he was smart like James and Sirius were smart, and really good at researching. Sometimes Sirius would have to drag Remus out of the library so they could all hang out before dinner. More often than not, it would take _both_ Sirius _and_ James to convince Remus they really wanted him along.

Remus was weird like that. He always had fun when then four of them were hanging out, but everytime they came to get him he protested anew, as though he didn't really want to come. Or he thought they didn't want him to come, and were just asking because he was their dormmate and they were being polite. He'd even gone so far as to say that, once, and it had left Sirius speechless for a moment--a rare feat, indeed--before he gathered himself enough to tell Remus off for even suggesting such a thing. Then the brunette had drawn into himself a little bit and apologized, but at least after that it had been much easier to get him to run amok with them.

That's really what they did, too, in Sirius's opinion. They ran amok. They created chaos. They were the harbingers of doom. James wasn't the only creative genius in the group.

Between Sirius and James, new ways to torture the school were thought up every few days, and when even _they_ were out of ideas, it seemed like Remus or Peter would timidly suggest something. Remus's suggestions tended to be well thought out, almost-complete ideas that could be set into action with little to no preparation, and generally to spectacular results. Peter's were often creative enough, but tended to be more unrealistic than was really reasonable, but the others always encouraged him to keep trying.

The foursome's favorite targets were the Slytherins, and especially Snape. He was always acting superior and picking fights with them, and so it wasn't like they could just let him get away with it. So it was a regular sight for Snape to be coming in for breakfast in the mornings with parchment airplanes zooming around his head, or quills writing inappropriate phrases on the back of his robes, or, one time, his shoelaces tying themselves together and getting progressively tighter and tighter until--finally-- the boy tripped and fell on his face as he reached his House table.

For first years, the four had quite a few enemies, and just as many or more friends, as well as a reputation that could only grow with time.

**Mischief Managed.**


	2. Prank Two

**A/N:** Well, lovely time for chapter two, and sorry about the wait. Also, the chapters are rather short at the moment, but they should be getting longer as we go along. The POV has changed slightly, and will make rounds every chapter, probably. ((The first was in Sirius's, this one is in James's, and the next one is in Peter's, I believe, but I'd have to check. It's all third person, though, so it should still make perfect sense.))

Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, would I really write fanfiction? ((Yes, I would. I just don't. Own Harry Potter, that is.))

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_**What It Takes**_

**I solemnly swear I am up to no good.**

**Prank 2.**

"**Snivellus".**

Sirius was getting really annoyed at that Severus Snape; James could tell by the set of his jaw and the slight twitching of his left eyebrow. Besides the random angry growls that escaped him, of course. Those were a bit of a give away as well.

The Slytherin boy was goading Sirius again, and James had to admit that it was a bit annoying. _Really,_ he thought, _Sirius has been a Gryffindor all year--you'd think he'd just let it go already. So he's a Black and a Gryffindor! I mean, he's not really much like the rest of his family, so why is it such a big deal. No, stupid, you know that._

Sirius was a pureblood wizard, with generations and generations of 'unspoiled' wizarding anscesters to back up his name. That was important to many of the old wizarding families, and especially Sirius's. The Blacks were a very old, prestigious family, and well known for all of them being in the Slytherin house at Hogwarts. Personally, James thought Sirius was well-shot of that bunch, they were all snotty, stuck up blood purists with nothing but ancestry and contempt in their heads. But Sirius's mum _was_ fairly unhappy with him over the whole thing. Fairly unhappy being an understatement.

Remus caught James's eye shyly, nodding his head toward where Sirius looked about ready to explode. "You little--" Sirius was yelling, "you leave my family out of this, Snape! Leave them out or I might have to ask about _your_ family! I heard your mummy was in the hospital the other weak with an unknown ailment. The only person she ever talks to is your father, right? I wonder what he--"

Snape's fist came swinging at Sirius's taunting face, and James felt his stomach plummet as Sirius's expression flashed into a triumphant smirk and he swung right back. Remus gasped and Peter squeaked, but James blew out a sigh. Sirius was always picking fights with Snape.

"Sirius!" he called, "Sirius, stop it! Come on, we've got better things to do. Do you _want_ another detention with McGoogles?"

But Sirius didn't stop. He and Snape were going at it like there was no one else around. There was nothing for it but to drag him out. Too bad neither Remus nor Peter would be much help, Sirius in full battle mode was something you didn't want to fight. The one time he had tried that...James shuddered even as he dove into the fray and grabbed the nearest arm, pulling sharply.

Luck was with him, it was his friend's. With another tug he managed to pull Sirius away from the greasier boy, then turn him around to glower at him. "Sirius Black, quit falling to his level. You know he does that just to--"

"What is it, Potter, afraid to get in a little trouble? You're nothing more than a momma's boy, and your mum isn't even here."

James glared around his friend. "Shut your mouth about my mum, Snape."

"Or what? You're not going to do anything."

"Maybe not, but maybe so."

"You know," the other boy remarked seemingly off-handedly, "you don't look much like your father, Potter. No, not much at all."

"Are you suggesting," James ground out, not noticing how his grip tightened around Sirius's forearm, "that my mother whored herself?"

"Very good, Potter, that is _exactly_ what I am suggesting."

"Why you--" the sentence never got finished as both James and Sirius tackled the Slytherin to the ground and began to pound their fists into his face. James smiled savagely as his fist connected harshly with the other boy's jaw, and Sirius's with his ugly, overlarge nose. What was that thing anyway? It didn't resemble any other nose he'd ever seen, all hooked and greasy and nasty looking with those stupidly flaring nostrils-- James joined the sadistic beating of the nose. The nose was probably the most annoying thing about Severus, it was always sniffing and sniffling around while he whined to Professor Slughorn anytime any one of them stepped so much as a toe out of line!

James pulled himself away with another snarl, and took Sirius with him. "Quit talking about my mum, Snivellus."

He led his three friends away, fuming. None of them talked until they passed through the portrait hole and into their Gryffindor commonroom, where Sirius collapsed laughing onto a couch. James blinked stupidly at his friend, knowing he should be used to the sudden flipped personalities of the Black heir, but knowing at the same time that he probably never would be. It was Remus, though, who asked the question.

"Sirius," he quieried quietly, "What are you laughing about? You and James are going to be in major trouble when McGonagall finds out about this."

"B-but," Sirius gasped, "that was so _perfect!_ Where did you come up with it, James? I mean, _Snivellus_? It's an ingenius description of him!"

"Well, you see," James said, a bit embarrassed, "I was thinking about, you know, how much I hate his nose."

"Yeah," put in Peter, "It's so big."

"And ugly--" Sirius adds.

"And hooked--"

"And greasy--"

"And it's got that funny shaped thing on the end--"

"And it's just so nasty looking!" Remus finished up, grinning despite himself.

"Well, yeah," James grinned, "That's what I was thinking."

They all fell about laughing on the couch and on Sirius, a heap of laughing boys enjoying a private joke, one that would follow them throughout the years.

**Mischief Managed.**


End file.
